April: By Daniel Martinez
APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY…?
April marks the start of the new quarter and a new opportunity to make strides in the world of real estate. I have continued to improve every aspect of my business as well as finding new ways to better serve my clients. Everything I do is done with the purpose of providing great quality, and sharing my experiences and knowledge is something I feel is valuable to anyone who looks or listens. With that said, feedback is something I always welcome and I urge everyone to share theirs with me.
NUMBERS AND FIGURES PAINT MY PICTURES
One of the operations of the business I focus on the most is gathering market data. So much can be said with numbers because numbers paint the most accurate picture. No emotions, no hearsay, no assumptions. Just statistics and indicators. By gathering market data on a weekly basis in areas such as as homes sold, homes listed, and average price of those homes, I start to get an idea of where the real estate market is headed and how I need to tailor my approach.
From all the data I’ve gathered, I’ve been able to see what areas are hot, and which are not. What stands out is that homes that are priced under $400k have the most movement in the city. Luxury home sales are down, which is an indicator of where most people seem to be flocking to in terms of product price range. This can mean that homeowners with homes priced in below that price can see some potential attention coming their way if they decide to sell. Many of the homes that hit the market are priced competitively and many of those don’t remain on the market too long. For potential buyers, there must be due diligence because some properties fly off the shelf very quickly.
The Energy Corridor continues to move steadily at about the same pace as March, with an average of 10 homes selling each week and an average selling price that hovers above $400k. Other parts of the city have seen slower movement in terms of transactions but new developments around the Galleria and Neartown show that there is desired housing. Hopefully these new developments and properties can be filled quickly.
HOUSTON’S OUTLOOK
Houston is currently performing like a .500 baseball team in terms of the economy. Some parts are good and show that the city is moving in the right direction. Other times, it rains for 16 hours straight and it’s suddenly possible to canoe down Allen Parkway. Mother Nature can’t be reasoned with but I’ll avoid giving that storm too much attention.
The truth is, Houston is still a robust city. Despite the energy slump, other sectors of the economy are thriving. Unlike the effects a downturn like this would have had in the past, the city is able to absorb the blows slowly and continue to march on. The real estate market is still operating a steady pace. Not outstanding, but steady. People might be getting laid off left and right but others are still buying and selling. Property values haven’t taken hits either, which is a sign that things will remain stable for quite some time. The main concern at the moment is increasing job availability because employment is a driver of many other things. Still, the diversification of Houston’s economy has enabled it figuratively weather the storm and hopefully once we recover from the slump and start hitting the right pitches again, the outlook will be great again.
From what I can see, Houston is beginning to evolve. The new developments and construction that’s occurring as we speak is looking to transform the face of the city. For those who have been here a long time, the growth Houston has and continues to experience is remarkable, and when economic times improve, the changes will be even more noticeable.
SOCIAL MEDIA PROVIDES ME THE RIGHT AUDIENCE
April also marked the beginning of heavy marketing on social media through more entertaining mediums such as Saturday Showings and Monday’s Q&A. I believe that using social media as a resource and tool for gathering information is vital to any business and giving my viewers a first hand look into my projects and expertise is very helpful in having them understand who I am and what I do. I’m going to continue improving the production and format of the segments on Snapchat and Facebook Live. The purpose of this is simple: improving the quality of everything I produce will improve my credibility as a real estate professional and entrepreneur. I look forward to any feedback my viewers or clientele might have, so please: watch, share, like, or comment any of my episodes of #AskTheDanielMTZ Show or Saturday Showings.
CONDO UPDATE
The condo rehab is coming along great and I’m currently getting everything prepared to remodel the kitchen and install appliances. This phase was supposed to get started at the beginning of April but there were some road bumps along the way. No worries! All with good time. I’m excited about this part especially because of what a kitchen says about a home. It’s a centerpiece of a home in my eyes. I’m definitely looking forward to that and the rest of the remodeling.
DON’T FORGET WHERE TO FIND ME
You can always find me on the following channels where I answer all of your real estate questions on the #AskTheDanielMtz Show, as well as give you an upfront look into some of Houston’s nicest properties on #SaturdayShowings. Much more material is soon to follow. Feel free to reach out to me on any of these platforms.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedanielmtz/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedanielmtz
Snapchat: txc_daniel
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/w/9E1D2A
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-martinez-bb507a87?trk=pulse-det-athr_prof-art_hdr
